Dear neighbor,
 

Like many of you, we at Lift UP are deeply distressed by the ongoing and systemic injustices targeting our Black community. We are grieving the loss of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others. We also grieve for the loss we all experience when we fail to respect the humanity of our whole, diverse community.

Lift UP is committed to being actively anti-racist. As a non-profit food justice organization, we see first-hand how food insecurity is linked to racial disparities – how decades of systemic oppression result in persistent poverty and hunger for communities of color. According to the USDA, 22.5% of African American households and 18.5% of Hispanic households are food insecure, both of which are higher than the national average of 12.3%.

We are still at the beginning of our journey, but we are committed to centering racial equity in our work, listening to and learning from the people we serve, and being accountable to serving our community in a way that upholds our values of dignity and respect. You will hear more from us in the coming months about how we are living up to this commitment. There is no food justice without racial justice, and it is imperative that our mission to reduce hunger and build community reaches everyone who needs us.

Black lives matter and we stand in solidarity with the fight for racial equity. We pledge to listen to and support our local leaders of color, and to learn from the partners and allies who are leading this movement for change.

If you feel moved to get more involved, we hope you will consider supporting these local organizations working toward racial justice. Together, we can end hunger and its root causes.

Local resources:
Coalition of Communities of Color
NAACP Portland
Urban League of Portland

A list of black owned businesses can be found on the Mercatus PDX website here.
 

Gratefully,

Stephanie Barr
Executive Director, Lift UP